


Anytime (Table pour quatre)

by LouiseLouise



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-19
Updated: 2019-11-19
Packaged: 2021-02-13 11:53:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21493837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LouiseLouise/pseuds/LouiseLouise
Summary: Eddie has to cover for John's shift for a few days and Buck ends up helping with Chris' school pick ups, and maybe a little more.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Comments: 19
Kudos: 414





	Anytime (Table pour quatre)

**Author's Note:**

> Unbeta'd and English is not my first language, all mistakes are mine.

Picture this. The weather is cold and John, from the second team of the 118 gets sick and Eddie has to cover for him, so he doesn’t work with Buck and the others for a few days. It’s kinda lonely without his usual partners in crime, and it complicates a bit his schedule regarding picking up Christopher from school but it’s just for a few days so he knows he’ll be fine.

Also, Buck comes to the rescue because of course he does.

“It’s just picking him up and dropping him off at my abuela’s home, then I’ll get him there as soon as my shift is over,” Eddie tells Buck after Buck offers to help with the situation. He feels guilty somehow to have to rely on people to raise his son, even if Buck has already helped like a hundred times without complaining or even being asked.

“Dude you know I’m happy to help, right? It’s not like it’s a chore, I love that kid, you know that?” Buck smiles. 

Their friendship is not 100% like it used to be before the lawsuit, and the street fighting, but it’s getting there, and Eddie shouldn’t be second guessing Buck’s motives. He doesn’t sound like someone who wants to make amends for anything, he’s just genuinely happy to help and spend time with Chris, and that warms Eddie’s heart.

“Okay but be warned that it’s dinosaur week at school, so he’s probably gonna spend the entire ride throwing dinosaurs’ facts at you,” Eddie laughs.

“And you say that like it’s a bad thing why?” Buck laughs back. Time with Chris AND dinosaurs, what’s not to like.

-

Eddie’s shift ends and he goes straight to pick up Christopher. It’s late though, so he knows he’s probably gonna find his son asleep on the couch and a hot meal waiting for him on abuela’s dinner table, which honestly is the not the worse thing ever.

The house is quiet and as predicted Chris is asleep and dreaming peacefully. The dinner table is empty though and Eddie feels kinda disappointed, that is until he hears laughter and the click of pans coming from the kitchen. Eddie walks toward there expecting everything but what's actually in front of him. Isabel is getting some plates out of the cupboard while Buck, yes, Buck who was supposed to just drop off Christopher and leave hours ago, is tasting whatever is cooking on the stove. 

“Are you sure about the salt?” Buck asks, wiping his hands on the apron Isabel has lent him. It’s blue and beige with ruffles and the unexpected normalcy of the scene makes Eddie’s heart flutter, catching him by surprise and reviving those feelings that Eddie’s been trying to deny for a while now.

The old lady answers something in Spanish that Buck probably doesn’t understand, but the tone seems enough for him to put away the salt.

“Daddy!” Christopher says entering the kitchen from behind Eddie, making the three adults turn around to see him, making Isabel and Buck finally notice Eddie’s presence.

“Hey buddy,” Eddie says, leaning to hug his son. “Did I wake you up?”

“I was waiting for you,” Chris answers, pretending like he hadn’t fallen asleep while doing so.

“That’s very nice bud, I’m going to eat a bit and then we’ll go okay? Do you wanna go back to rest on the couch until then?”

Chris shakes his head no. “I wanna stay with you,” he says with a smile that could get him anything.

“Okay then,” Eddie says, leading him toward the table, looking up at Buck and his abuela, watching them setting up the table and filling up the plates. “Hey,” he says to both of them, smiling.

Isabel holds out her hand for Chris. "You want to help with the napkins sweetie?"

Eddie goes around the table and towards Buck while Chris joins Isabel. "You stayed," he says smiling softly. “You didn’t have to.”

Buck shakes his head. “Eddie, when are you gonna accept that being around you and your family will never feel like an obligation?” he says with the softest smile, and here it is, that warmth in Eddie’s chest that feels like a sunny afternoon in a quiet park, laying on the grass to marvel at the sky.

“Plus,” Buck adds, “I got to learn a new recipe _and_ your abuela told me everything about what you were obsessed with when your were Christopher’s age and now I can make fun of you at the station on Monday, so really it’s a win win!” he grins.

“Not if you want me to send them that pic of you in a ruffled apron,” Eddie says shaking his phone under Buck’s nose, grinning back at him.

“I love the ruffles,” Chris chimes in, reminding Eddie and Buck that they’re not alone in the room.

“Thank you buddy,” Buck says. “See,” he turns to Eddie,” someone in that family has good taste.”

“Good taste, uh?” Eddie asks. “I bet you tried to tell her no and she made _that_ smile, didn’t she?”

“There’s no way to say no to that smile,” Buck laughs. “And now I see where Christopher gets that from.”   
  


They share dinner as a family, Chris trying very hard not to fall asleep at the table and as they stand up to leave, Isabel makes Buck promise he’ll come back for another cooking lesson, which he agrees to without hesitation.

_It’s amazing how happiness can lie in the simplest things_, Eddie tells himself as they walk to their cars.

-

Eddie settles Chris in the car and then it’s just him and Buck on the sidewalk, everything peaceful around them.

“Thank you,” he says, putting his hand on Buck’s shoulder, refraining himself from pulling him into a hug. A hug would be weird right? It’s just school and a dinner, even if it felt like family to him that’s not hug level of thankfulness, right?

“Anytime,” Buck says before walking to his own car, light on his feet and a smile stuck on his face. Because when Buck says _anytime_, what he really means is _I love you_, and if Eddie hasn’t figured it out yet, Buck is very hopeful that he will soon. One family dinner at a time.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, I hope you liked it!  
As usual, kudos are love and comments are welcome!


End file.
